John – Prison is a blessing

I bet when you read this you thought the writer must have lost his senses. Besides other expletive words that crossed your mind or voiced orally to yourself or those around you.

On the contrary though, do I say this. First, I must state that, I don’t mean this for everyone in the world. Two, I do not mean that prison sentences should exceed fifteen to twenty years, for any crime. And even there these are special conditions. (i.e. – Age, Health, mental state.)

When a person living on the street, whether they were born of the streets, or raised in a loving or chaotic house, or even those of medium class to Aristocrat classes, decide to turn to crime, they begin a life that leads to prison and/or the grave.

Yet though, this writing is for all persons incarcerated, waiting to be incarcerated or those living the life that will lead them to incarceration. Because you are the ones who are getting a chance to learn how to become a working class being of society. You have a chance to learn just how much intelligence you do have. You learn skills you never knew you possessed. You learn self. A great author wrote once, “The only difference between man and beast, from being Savage or barbarous, is Education.

Education has numerous avenues of learning. But., and there is a but. One must be willing to learn about himself. Him/Her must want a better life than the life they are living. Want more than being a crack dealer, crack whore (male/female), thinking that stealing is the only way to survive, want to be able to read and write like others. Live in a better place where crime doesn’t flourish with passion. They must want what they believe is not possible, because they believe they are not smart enough. Which is untrue. Anyone can learn. It just takes time and patience. It takes the courage to find humility and accept criticism of teaching. And it take the time and patience of a teacher to give all they can to give this person(s) Hope. To show them and give them a living and future to look forward too, they thought impossible to obtain. That my brothers and sisters am what I am doing now this moment. Because this moment is the time I have. Let us, before we die, gather up our heritage, our knowledge, and offer these gifts to our children.

I spent many years in an abusive home, lived on the streets at a young age, Drug addict, Alcoholic, sex addict (which I still battle sex addiction), tried suicide, loved the criminal life.

Remember this., ‘You may not always be able to change the circumstances around you, but you always have the option to change self.’ – Hikari

So now why is Prison a blessing.

Because once your in prison you are in a place to rehabilitate yourself. Make no mistake, any institution is not a place of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation begins when you choose to want to learn to better yourself. It begins with the changing of your thinking. Is it hard? No harder than what your doing now. The hardest part is responsibilities.

In the outside world, your responsibilities consisted of finding the way to support your habit. It took work to find places to rob or people to rob. But, you wouldn’t pay bills, last weight, was lazy, sat around gossiping watching Soap Operas, or T.V. shows like Steve Wilko, Jerry Springer or Maury. These are all Great shows, but it is as in all things, moderation is the responsibility to be able to have the time to watch these shows and still perform the duties of living life properly.

Am I judging, No! Am telling you real shit. Living life properly is not, ignoring your childrens hunger because of your alcohol or Drug addiction, buying or selling drugs, fencing stolen merchandise, thinking of a way to beat the system. Because you as a tiny small fraction of the essence of crime will never beat the system.

Doug a friend and brother of our Sangha, his wife and two daughters are all scholars. If you were to ask them if it was hard for them to achieve the status of life they’re at, they will tell you…Yes. They have nice things, and a nice living, because they took the road to better themselves. But, I’ll tell you this, his youngest daughter who is now a Neuroscientist, once road Freight Trains as a hobo. She wanted to see and feel what it was like to be a transit. I have a lot of respect for this family because every single one of them, have dedicated their lives in helping others. Not only here in the U.S., but also across the world.

Yet, you don’t have to be rich and famous or even have a lot materialistic wise. Just be realistic about living in life. A ten dollar job can’t buy hundred dollar champagne. Not at first, but it is possible. This comes through Education.

In prison, there are no responsibilities. Your housing is free, your clothes are free, your bedding is free, your meals are free, water, light, heat, A.C. all is free. That is, as far as monetary means. We’re all in here or out there spending our lives for our living.

Now that we established that you have no responsibilities, lets see what happens with this.

You have those who don’t get monetary funds, and there are states that do not pay you to work. Like Arkansas where I reside is still a slave state. Their motto is., – you either volunteer your time to work or you get put in the hole/solitary confinement for not volunteering. – Then you have those that do get some money, some get a lot of money.

95% of these inmates hustle this money or whatever means they have in selling or buying dope, cigarettes, cellphones, sex with guards, or in the making of hooch/-(Alcohol homemade.) Many of them gamble it on Sports. So that’s where their families money goes.

Yet, they learn where new drug dealers are, where the women who loves sex are living, how to hi-jack Vehicles, about dealing drugs, by-pass alarm systems, rob banks, etc., Anything but, learning what will keep them out of prison, and give them a living, where they can come home to after work, have a partner waiting, food on the table, T.V. to watch, comfortable bed to sleep in, and children to love. Because right now, you ain’t showing no love to any of your family or friends. All your doing is what you were doing out there, using them for your own personal gain.

To change your living, you change your thinking by turning away from criminal thinking. You start talking to those who have a skill to learn something about it. You order or get books from the Unit Library on whatever trade you are seeking. – And every Prison library have educational books -, so there’s no excuse.

Start managing your money. Even if you hustle for coffee, soups, candy, cakes, etc… Learn to use it in moderation. Study these books, if you have people in the world to send you information on the skill/Trade your seeking, have them send it.

If you cannot read or write, or can’t very well go to the prison’s school and start to learn. See, these places are not places of rehabilitation, but they have the resources to rehabilitate. Not just faith programs, but self-help programs.

Get to the Unit Library and get into the Encyclopedias. Start at Letter – A –. Work your way through, (A) – the first letter of the English letter to (Azure) – the blue of the clear sky.

When you do this the world your living in will open up to wonders you never dreamed of. Look at National Geographics to see what lies beyond the world you’ve been living in.

Your not stupid. Your not dumb. Anyone can learn. Some of it may take longer to learn, but you can learn. The more you learn, the more you become educated to learning responsibilities.

You cannot say you’ll wait till you get out to change. One, why didn’t you change when you were in the world before starting to do crime? Don’t say because, you now have learned better and can do it. Because that is Bullshit! You haven’t learned nothing if you have not started to find that skill or education that will give you that chance, once your out to do responsible things.

So many of you run around acting like children who are still playing fort, cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers, pimps and ho’s. Just because someone isn’t wearing the same color as you, you want to ostracize them or kill them. Life is not about racism, or colors, or hoods. Life is what you are, living life is what you do with your life. You whine and cry about rules and regulations of living life, like a baby throwing a tantrum. Fighting over what T.V. show to watch. Not getting your food fast enough. That’s childish shit!

A real man/woman takes responsibility and does what they have to do to maintain that balance to keep them from doing criminal acts. So you were born into it. That does not mean you got to continue to live that way.

A coward is one who is scared to face something they fear. I can’t make you change your thinking. I can only hope you see the value of your own life. I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to show you your worth. Because I’d be right back where I was before in life. A criminal who was a coward to take responsibilities for myself.

You must believe in yourself. That is the first step. I believe in you, because brothers and sisters, I’ve lived that criminal life for almost all of it, before my eyes were opened. You can take this to heart all of your doing crime and hate police. Your working for the police. That is the purpose you’ve chosen as a living for your life. You are the ones who give them their jobs. You do crime not to support your living, but to support the polices’ living.